How Moms Can Make the Most of Baby and Toddler Naptime

It seems counterproductive: Why nap when you can finally get some work done? Because you need to.

"Napping is hugely important. I can't tell you how many times we've cleaned the kitchen, made dinner, or did laundry while the baby was sleeping and after all that hustle, no one was there to congratulate us," explains Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo, authors of Today's Moms: Essentials for Surviving Baby's First Year. "Scratch those ideas from your game plan. What's most important is baby's health and your own. Our new philosophy is to relax and nap when your baby is doing the same."

Napping when Baby naps works for real moms, too. "I'm very big on sleep. Without it, I am not a nice person. It definitely helps me to keep my calm and patience with my kids," says Jennifer. As a stay-at-home mom, she misses having the alone time she had when working outside the home—even the moments spent commuting in her car. "Naptime is the one time of day that I can have peace and quiet."

Work-at-home moms need a break just a much—maybe more. "I was determined to juggle my career and my new idea of being a stay-at-home mom," remembers Kristi, a real estate agent and mother of two boys. "My son took four 30-minute naps each day back then. I spent three of them responding to e-mails, voicemail and phone calls, writing a quick blog, and of course going to the bathroom. But I quickly found this difficult and was exhausted when he woke up again and needed me. Then I changed my priorities and started spending those 30 minutes resting. (I also got a phone with email access from anywhere.) It worked great!"